The latest news from around the division.
Cover 3: Biggest question remaining for Giants – John Schmeelk, et al., Giants.com
Three weeks prior to training camp, here are some questions surrounding New York.
John Schmeelk: I thought about doing something basic for this one like “who will be the Giants’ second starting outside cornerback” or “will someone play well enough in training camp and preseason to unseat one of the starters on the offensive line” – but I decided against it. While those questions are certainly important and I’m interested in seeing how they are resolved, neither is the biggest question I still have about this team. The same goes for questions about how they will deploy the running backs and edge rushers. Those potential answers might impact wins and losses, but they are not big enough for me.
My thoughts still go back to the quarterback position, but not in the way some fans might be thinking about it. Russell Wilson is the team’s starting quarterback. The team needs the stability that he brings to the position in terms of leadership, organizing the offense, and getting the team into the right plays. The confidence the team has in him was palpable throughout the spring. Physically, his arm and deep ball are still more than good enough to succeed in the NFL.
I need to see if Wilson, coupled with the Giants’ scheme and offensive line, can get his sack rate down a bit. Last year, Wilson had an 8.9% sack rate, which was fifth-highest in the league, only better than Jalen Hurts and three young quarterbacks (Will Levis, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye).
If the Giants can get Wilson’s sack rate down to the 7% range, which would put him towards the middle of the league in the neighborhood of Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, and Dak Prescott, the offense will have a real chance to be excellent. The reason this is still a big question for me is we haven’t seen it yet with pads. Without contact in spring practices, you can’t see anything regarding the offensive line, pass rush, or how the quarterback will handle it.
Commanders set to reveal bold new look with upcoming uniform announcement – David Harrison, Sports Illustrated
New… or old… threads are on the way for Washington.
Washington Commanders fans won’t have to wait long before seeing what the next effort to reconnect with the franchise’s proud heritage will be.
According to a report from SportsLogos.net, the Commanders will be the first of several teams to unveil their new alternate helmet and jersey.
“Our sources have indicated that the Washington Commanders will be the first to reveal a new alternate helmet and jersey on July 9,” the report says. The team confirmed the report’s accuracy a short time later.
Earlier this offseason, radio host Kevin Sheehan stated that he had information that the new uniform will resemble one of the uniforms used in the previous eras of the franchise’s history. Sheehan also clarified that it would not be the most recent logo used prior to the team switching to the Washington Football Team before becoming the Commanders.
There are two candidates we specifically discussed as potential inspirations for the new alternate uniform, starting with the spear helmet logo first worn in 1965.
The other candidate we could foresee inspiring this new uniform would be the Circle-R logo, which debuted in 1970.
Overall, the thought is that the new alternative uniform won’t be a replica or throwback, but rather a new design inspired by one of the older ones. Perhaps, we could be in store for a mashup of all previous uniforms, with something from each era’s threads brought in to create a new, fresh look.
The report that revealed this date also suggests that this alternate uniform could be used similarly to the way the New York Jets introduced a throwback version of their uniforms as an alternate in 2023 before switching to that throwback look completely as the team’s 2024 road uniform.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter shuts down latest Eagles trade rumor involving Steelers’ stud pass rusher – Kelsey Kramer, A to Z Sports
Don’t believe everything you read.
Pittsburgh Steelers star defender T.J. Watt has been absent this offseason, fueling trade rumors, with the Philadelphia Eagles emerging as one of the teams he’s been linked to.
As enticing as the idea may be for the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles to add another elite pass rusher like Watt to an already loaded defense, the odds of general manager Howie Roseman making that a reality appear slim.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that move is highly unlikely due to the financial hurdles and the Eagles’ current focus on extending their own young stars rather than taking on a massive veteran contract.
“I think the Eagles are planning and budgeting to pay their own players,” Schefter said during an appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic. “They’re going to have any number of young stars from Jalen Carter to the two cornerbacks [Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell] that they drafted last year, they have to go pay in the future. They already paid Zack Baun, and they paid Saquon Barkley. At some point, they’re going to have to address the offensive side.
“There’s so many contractual situations that you have, and it makes it hard to go trade for a TJ Watt and pay him upwards of $30 million dollars a year. It just doesn’t work. Would you love to have him? Of course. Every team would. But can you make it work feasibly, financially, and structurally? That would be incredibly challenging for the Eagles to do.”
